AH THE MEMORIES!
Who wouldn't forget those days when we would just stroll to the computer shop and load up WarCraft III's Defense of the Ancients (DOTA).
Before we begin our matches, there was that iconic loading screen which featured some of the best fan arts about the game courtesy of Stanley "Artgerm" Lau and Kendrick "Kunkka" Lim. Both travelled to Manila for the Super Manila Comic Con last September.
And SPIN.ph got a chance to interview Kunkka who had his own booth, showcasing his works in the world of Dota. When hearing the name Kunkka, the Admiral of the Seas comes to our mind and this could suggest that Lim got his IGN from Tidehunter's rival.
But that wasn't the case, in fact it was the opposite. IceFrog (Dota's developer) actually used Kendrick Lim's artist name, to create the in-game Kunkka we know and love.
"It feels great because I’m also a huge fan of the game, and when I had a hero named after me, it was a great feeling, and of course the fans recognized that as well. It’s always very nice especially when looking at Filipinos who are very passionate fans, they show their appreciation, they show their love. It’s always a fun time in Manila," said Lim in an exclusive with SPIN.ph.
And while Lim will forever be remembered as the one who designed the loading screens of the OG Dota game, his career has flourished afterwards.
If you wish to feel nostalgic, take a look at his classic artworks.
Kunkka has taken his fleet to the Marvel and DC Universe
Lim has been doing illustrations and concept arts for other video games for Capcom, Square-Enix, and Sideshow.
A few years ago, he ventured into the world of comics as his works have also been featured by Marvel and DC Comics.
Now he is also a lecturer at 3Dsense Media School in Singapore, teaching illustration and concept design.
However none of this would've happened had he not taken that leap of faith. Lim's passion for Dota is what forged his career.
"I began as a player, so I played Dota a lot with my friends from the studio, we played everyday," he started. "I wanted to do some official art for Dota so I made a few fan arts and sent them to IceFrog."
"He (IceFrog) liked the work and I said, ‘If you like I can do some work for the Loading screens."
Before Lim and other Dota 1 artists entered the scene, the IceFrog's game had a generic loading screen centered on WarCraft assets.
"It used to be the default WarCraft pictures, not related to Dota, so what if I made a fight scene of the Dota characters to be featured during the loading time?" he reflected.
What started off as a passion project turned out to yield various opportunities for Lim. Eventually he decided to expand his craft to other ventures.
“It was not too long ago, just a few years. Before comics, I was doing a lot more game concept arts, sometimes movies, or advertising, but for comics it was a few years ago. I decided I wanted to do some covers for comics."
"So I did some fanart of popular characters like Spider Gwen, Black Widow, and I posted them online. At the same time, the publishers saw it and they liked my work and they offered me some jobs starting from there."
Lim started his career with Dynamite and was eventually discovered by the big comic book brands. It seemed the Boots of Travel he invested was worth it.
And if you want a sneak peek on some of his works, here's his portfolio.
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